God hath vailed onely for himâ— But the successe proved them to be Propheâ—icall and thiâ— Confessour having his body macerated with fasting and prayer and other afflictions through the chinks and cleâ—â—â— thereof stole a glympse of heaven and the knowledge of future things For the day before his surrender Queene Mary dyed and now Fox with the rest of his friends hasteth home so that if feare gave them feet to runne beyond the Seas joy gave them winâ—es to flye home to their nativâ— Country Here arrived he continued and finished that worthy Worke formerly begun For as God preserved one of Iobs sâ—rvants from fire and â—ury of the Caldeans and Sabeans â— to report to Iob the losse of his fellowes so divine Providence proâ—ected this man from Martyrdome intended for him that he might be the worlds intelligencer to tell the Tidings of the number and mâ—nner of Gods worthy Saints â—nd servants who were destroyed by the cruelty of these Romish adversaries Which bad newes is very well told in his Unpartiall relation For for the maine it is a worthy Worke wherein the Reader may rather have then lack presenting it selfe to Beholders like Aetna alwayes burning whilst the smoke hath almost put out the eyes of the adverse party and these Foxes fire-brands have brought much annoyance to the Romish Philistines But it were a Miracle if in so Voluminous a Worke there were nothing to be justly reproved so great a Pomgranate not having any rottâ—n kernell must onely grow in Paradice And though perchance he held the beame at the best advantage for the Protestant party to weigh downe yet generally he is a true writer and never wilfully deceiveth though he may sometimes be unwillingly deceived Many yeares after Master Fox lived in England highly favoured by presons of quality So that it may seeme strange considering the heighth of his friends and largenesse of his deserts that he grew to no place of more honour and spread to no preferment of greater profit in the Church But this must be wholly imputed to hâ—s owne modesty in declining advancement For although the richest Myter of England would have counted it selfe preferâ—'d by being placed upon his head yet he contented himselfe onely with a Prebend of Salisbury pleased with his owne obscurity whilst others of lesse desert make greater show And whilest prouâ— people stretch out their Plumes in Ostentation he used their Vanity for his shelter more pleased to have worth then to have others take notice of it Now how learnedly he wrote how constantly he preacht how piously he lived how cheerefully he dyed may be fetcht from his life at large prefixed before his book Oâ—e passage therein omitted we must here insert having received it from witnesses beyond exception In the eighty eight when the Spanish halfe Moone did hope to rule all the motion in our Seas Master Fox was privately in his Chamber at prayers battering heaven with his importunity in behalfe of this sinfull Nation And we may justly presume that hâ—â— devotion was as actually instrumental to the victory as thâ— wisdom of our Admirable valour of his Souldiâ—rs â—kil and industry of his Sea-men On a sudden coming downe to his Family â—e cryâ—d out They are gone they are gone which indeed hapned in the same instant as by exact Computatioâ— afterwards did appeare His Liberality to the poorâ— was boundlesse so powerfull was the holy spell of the name of Jesus unto him that no poore person ever charmed him therewith but presenâ—â— raised his charitable spirit to bestow an almes upon himâ— One dâ—y Master Fox came from the Pallace of Bishop Elmer in London when a company of poore people by thâ—â— retinue he might ever be tracted importunately begged oâ— him Master Fox having no mony returned back to the Bâ—shop desiring to borrow five pound of him which waâ— readily granted and going forth diâ—tributed it amongst thâ— poore Some mounths after the Bishop asked Father Fâ—x for so he was commonly stiled for the money he owâ—d him I have laid it out quoth Master Fox for you and have payed it where you owed it to the poore People that lay at your gate The Bishop was so far from being offended with him that he thanked him for being so carefull a Steward such was the marvelous familiarity betwixt them and great respect the Bishop bore to this Holy man But Master Fox this extraordinary instance excepted did not offer free offerings of other mens goods but of hiâ— owne So great was his Bounty that it fell under the censure of excesse the streame being likely to draine the Spring and impaire his Estate But God whose Providence provideth meet helpe fellows for men fitted him with such a wife whose hands as they knew not basely to scrape so they were skilfull thriftily to keep and this excellent medley so preserved his Estate that a competency was left to his children He was not nipt in the Bud nor blasted in the blossome nor blowne downe when green nor gathered when ripe but even fell of his owne accordâ— when altogether whithered As for the timâ— of his death take it from his owne Epitaph on his Monument which for the beauty thereof beares better proportion to the outward meanes then to thâ— inward merit of his person there entombed in S t. Giles Church without Criplegate Christo S. S. Iohanni Foxo Ecclesiâ— Anglicanae Martyrolgâ— Fidelissimo Antiquitatâ—â— Historicae Indagatori sugacissimo Evangellicae veritatis Propugnatori acerrimo Thaâ—maturge admitabili Qui martyres Marianes tanquam Phoenices ex cineribus redivivos praestitit Patri suo omni pietatis officio inprimis Colendo Samuel Foxus illius Primogenitus hoc Monâ—mentum posuit non sine Lacâ—rymis Obiit die 18. mens April An. Dom. 1587. Iam septuagenarius Vita vitae mortalis est Spes vitae immortalis Rare Fox well â—urr'd with patience liv'd a life In 's youthfull age devoted unto strife For the blind Papists of those frantick times Esteem'd his vertues as his greatest Crimes The hot persuit of their ful-crying hounds Forc'd him to flyâ— beyond the lawlesse bounds Of their hot sented Malice though their skill Was great in hunting yet our Fox was still Too crafty for them though they rang'd about From place to place they could not finde him out And when they saw their plots could not prevaile To blesse their noses with his whisking â—ayle They howl'd out curses but could not obtain Their preâ— being fled their curses prov'd in vaine From whence I thinke this Proveâ—b came at first Most thrives the Fox that most of all is curst The Life and Death of George Soâ—nius who dyed Anno Christi 1589. GEorge Sohnius was born at Friburg in Wetteraw Annâ— Christi 1551. of honest parents and brought up aâ— School in learning where he sucked in the first rudimentâ— with much eagernesse and fom School went to the Unâ—versity of Marpurg at fifteen years old where he profited so exceedingly in Logick and Philosophy that he
them and others since have made much use of wherin also by the way he hath inserted the lives Acts and carriages of the Romane Popes that the world might see and know what manner of men or monsters rather many of them have been and how far unlike unto Christ who yet have given themselves out to be Christs Vicars and the chiefe pillars of his Church Shorâ—ly after the happy entrance of that blessed Princess Q. Elizabeth when the storm raised by her sister Mary was now laid he returned over again into England as it semeth stept over from thence into Ireland to visit it may be his former flock if any faithfull of them were remaining yet there or to looke after his library if he might light upon any remaines of it in those places where it had been disor in the hands of those that had seazed upon it But he survived not long to enjoy either the peaceable times of Gods Church here re-established or the comfort of his people if he found any left there or the use and benefit of his books if he recovered any of them For it is by some reported that he dyed in Ireland at sixty and seven yeers of age in the year of our Lord 1558. which yet for the year of his decease may seeme not so to be since that his Catalogue or Centuries of our Brittin Writers Printed by him at Basile while he yet aboad in those parts is dedicated by himselfe to Queen Elizabeth then setled in the throne of this kingdome who began her raigne but in the latter part of that year besides that the latter part of that impression beareth date the Month of February 1559. as alâ—o some verses prefixed before the whole Worke wherein mention is made also of Queen Elizabeths reigne and of the Authors then taking leave of his friends in those parts and intendment of returne with his wife for England again bear date of March the same year which though they may be supposed to imply the close of the yeare 58. according to our computation who begin thâ— year at the latter end of March whereas they begin it at the first of Ianuary yet some space of time must be allowed for his travell out of Swiiâ—serland into England and from thence again into Ireland if there he deceased And it may well be deemed therefore that he survived if not to 1560. yet to 59. at least But this I leave to those that have more certaine records of it nor is the thing it selfe much materiall His Wokes for the most part as himselfe hath related and ranked them together with some few omitted by him and added by others are these First those that he compiled while he was yet a Papists 1 A Bundle of things worth the knowing 2 The Writers from Elias 3 The Writers from Berthold 4 Additions to Trithemius 5 Germane Collections 6 French Collections 7 English Collections 8 Divers writings of divers learned men 9 A Catalogue of Generals 10 The Spirituall War 11 The Castle of Peace 12 Sermons for Children 13 To the Synode at Hull 14 An answer to certaine Questions 15 Addition to Palaonydorus 16 The History of Patronage 17 The Story of Simon the Englishman 18 The Story of Franck of Sene in Italy 19 The Story of Saint Brocard 20 A Commentary on Mantuanis Preface to his Fasti. Secondly those that he wrote after that he had renounced Popery First in Latine 1 The Heliades of the English 2 The Brittish writers 3 Notes on the three Tomes of Walden 4 On his Bundle of Tares 5 On Polydore of the first invention of things 6 On Textors Officine 7 On Capgraves Catalogue 8 On Barnes his lives of Popes 9 The Acts of the Popes of Rome 10 A Translation of Thorps Examination into Latine 11 That of Brittish writers much enlarged with the lives and Acts of the Bishops of Rome inserted 12 An Additton of Scottish Irish and other writers 2 In English 1 In English Meeter and divers sorts of Verse 1 The life of John Baptist. 2 Of John Baptists Preaching 3 Of Christs Tentatinus 4 Two Comedies of Christs Baptisme and Tentations 5 A Comedie of Christ at twelve years old 6 A Comedie of the raising of Lazarus 7 A Comedie of the High Priests Councell 8 A Comedie of Simon the Leper 9 A Comedie of the Lords Supper and the washing of the Deisciples feet 10 Two Comedies or Tragedies rather of Christs Passion 11 Two Comedies of Christs buriall and Resurrection 12 A Poeme of Gods Promises 13 Against those that pervert Gods Word 14 Of the corrupting of God Lawes 15 Against Carpers and Traducers 16 A defence of King John 17 Of King Henries two Mariages 18 Of Popish Sects 19 Of Papists Trecheries 20 Of Thomas Beckets Impostures 21 The Image of love 22 Pammachius his Tâ—agedies translated into English 23 Christian Sonnets 2 In English Prose 1 A Commentarie on Saint Johns Apocalypse 2 A Locupletation of the pocalypse 3 Wicklefs War with the Papists 4 Sir John Oldcastles Trials 5 An Apologie for Bernes 6 A defence of Grey against Smith 7 John Lamberts Confession 8 Anne Askews Martyrdome 9 Of Luthirs Decease 10 The Bishops Alcaron 11 The man of Sinne. 12 The Mistery of Iniquity 13 Against Antichrists or false Christs 14 Against Baals Priests or Balaamites 15 Against the Clergies single life 16 A dispatch of Popish Vowes and Priesthood 17 The Acts of English Votaries in two parts 18 Of Heretickes indeede 19 Against the Popish Masse 20 The Drunkards Masse 21 Against Popish perswasions 22 Against Standish the Imposture 23 Against Bonners Articles 24 Certaine Dialogues 25 To Elizabeth the Kings daughter 26 Against customary swearing 27 On Mantuane of death 28 A Weeke before God 29 Of his Calling to a Bishoprick 30 Of Lelands Iournall or an Abridgement of Leland with Additions 31 A Translation of Sebald Heydens Apologie against Salâ—e Regina 32 A Translation of Gardiners Oration of true Obedience and Bonners Epistle before it with a Preface to it Notes on it and an Epilogue to the Reader Many other things he compiled translated and published which neither himselfe could sodainly call to minde nor others easily light on who yet have added to his recitall But it may well be admired how being so haunted hunted chased and hurried as he was from pillar to post and so oft stript both of bookes and other helps he could come to the sight and view of so many Authors much more how he should have time to surveigh such a multitude of them as by his writings it appeareth he did and most of all how he should be able to write so many volumes to goe no further as you see here related although some of them were but small His industry therefore is very remarkable which as it accompanied him to the last so it surviveth his decease in the fruit of it with us and in the reward of it to him Loe here the man who stir'd Romes
was so famous that many Princes Noblemen and young Gentlemen came from forreign Countries to see and hear him And this Grynaeus worthy was likewise That wee his Noble name should memorize Who was a rare Divine in Germany And made a Doctor in Divnity At Tubing and to Basil sent for thence To be Professour where with diligence And profitable pains and in that while The differance he did reconcile 'Twixt the Basilian Church and Tigurine At last his labour made his health decline And in his Pastorall Charge in Basil he Ended his dayes in sweet tranquility ROBERT ABBAT The Life and Death of Robert Abbot THis learned and humble man succeeded Doctor Holland in the Chaire at Oxford and herein exceeded him that although they were both of extraordinary sufficiency and vast if not immense reading yet as Augustus spake of Cassius ingeniâ—â— habet inâ—â—â—â—rato so it mâ—y be trâ—ly said of Abboâ— variam lectionem habuit in numerato he had the command of his learning and the sum of his readings upon any point which offered it selfe to his handling cast up to his hand the other had not so Whence it came to passe that the diligent hearers of the one received alwayes from him that which they expected the Auditors of the other seldome received what they expected or expected what they received from him yet alwayes went away well satisfied from his full table And I conceive the reason hereof may be this Abbot desired rather multum legere than multa Holland rather multa than multum the meditation of the one wrought upon his reading the reading of the other wrought upon his meditation and us it surcharged his memory so it over-ruled his invention also Let both have their due praises Et viridi cingantur tempora lavro For Abbot envy it selfe will afford him this testamoniall that if his tongue had been turned into the pen of a ready writer or all that hâ— wrote upon the History of Christs passion and the Prophet Esay and the Episâ—le to the Romans had seene the light he had come near unto if not over taken the three prime worthies of our Vniversity Iewel Bilson and Reynoldâ— for he gave to W m Bishop as great an overthrow as Iewell to Harding Bilson to Allen or Reynolds to Heart He was borne at Gilford in Surry of honest and industryouâ— Parents who lived fifty years together in wedlock and because they preserved that sacred bond so entire and kepâ— the marriage bed so undefiled God powred the dew of his blessing upon it and made them very happy in the fruit of their body especially in three of their children whereof the first was Bishop of Sarum the second Archbishop of Canterbury the third Lord Mayor of London In the Catalogue of all the Bishoâ—s of England onely Seffred sometimesâ— Bishop of Chichester was consecrated by his brother Archbishop of Canterbury Abbot had this happinesse and more for of two of his younger brethren one of them was advanced to the highest place in the Church and the other to the highest place in the City under his Majesty the youngest of them Maurice Abbot had the honour to be the first Knight who was dub'd by his Majesties royall sword the elder of them had yet a greater to annoynt his sacred Majesty and set the Crown upâ—n his royall head but I leave the two other to a better Herald to blazen their vertues Of this our Robert I will endeavour with my pensill to draw the lineaments whose silver pen I more highly esteeme then the silver Mace of the one or golden of the other He was not as Saint Ierome writeth of Hillarion a rose growing from a thorne but rather a province or double rose growing from a single for his Parents embraced the truth of the Gospell in King Edwards dayes and were persecuted for it in Queen Maries raigne by Dâ—ctor Story of infamous memory and notwithstanding all troubles and molestations continued constant in the profession of the truth till their death and all their children treading in their holy steps walked with a right foot to the Gospell and were zealous professors of the reformed Religion especially George and this our Robert whose zeale for the truth accompaned with indifatigable industry and choyce learning preferred him without any other friend or spokesman to all the dignities and promotions he held in the University and Church He was another Hortensius his eminent parts were seen and allowed yea and rewarded to upon the first glympse of them For upon an Oâ—ation made by him the seventeenth of November the day of Qâ—een Elizabeths inauguration he was chosen Schollar of Baliâ—l Colledge upon the first Sermon he Preached at Worster he was made Lecturer in that City and soon after Rector of All Saints there upon a Sermon Preached at Pauls Crosse Master Iohn Stannop one of his hearers having a benefice of great valew in his gift Bingham by name in Nottinghamshire tooke a resolution upon the next voydance of it to conferre it upon him and the Incombent not long after dying sent of his owne accord the Presentation to him upon a Sermon Preached before his Majesty King Iames in the month he waited at Court In the year 1612. newes being brought of Doctor Hollands death the King most gratiously nominated him his successour and lastly upon the â—ame of his incomparable Lectures read in the University de suprema potestate regia contra Bellarminum Suaâ—ezium and the perusall of his Antilogia adversus apolâ—giam Garnetti the See of Sarum falling voyd his Majesty sent his Congedelire for him to the Deane and Chapter Thus as he set forward one foot in the temple of vertue his other still advanced in the temple of honour A curious English Poet making use rather of licencea poetiâ—a than libertas grammatica deriveth Robertus our Divines Christan name from three Monesillibles ros ver â—hus though this etimoligy be affected and constrained yet I will make use of it to branch the History of his life into three parts and first I will consider him as he was ros in his Countries cure secondly as he was ver in his University preferment thirdly as he was thus in his episcopall See First I will speake of him as he was ros Ros signifieth dew which name very fitly agreed unto him whilst for twenty years he lived obscurely in the Country for as dew doth much good to the place where it fals and yet makes no noyse so his paines were very profitable in his private Cures yet was not his fame cryed up nor made any noise in the world secondly as dew dropping on mowen grasse refresheth it and maketh it spring anew so his labors in his Pastorall charge much refreshed the consciences of true converts which had felt the cythe of Gods judgements and made them spring up in hope and newnesse of life thirdly as dew distilling in silver drops mollifieth the parched ground so his heart melting into teares in many